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  #1  
Old 07-27-2011, 02:47 PM
jjw jjw is offline
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Default help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

I'd like to install this Kenwood stereo into my 2000 ranger.

I currently have the stock stereo, which looks like this


anyway, it seems relatively easy to get a hold of some coat hangers, pull out the stock stereo and disconnect the wires.

but from that point im not entirely clear as to what to do. if anyone could tell me how to go about dong this step by step, or link to instructions it would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 07-27-2011, 03:00 PM
pooleo pooleo is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

take out the bottom (2) screws in the bezel. Remove Bezel. Push the clips that hold the head unit in. Remove.

Buy a smart plugs adapter. walmart, bestbuy, etc..

Buy a bag of heat shrink butt splice connectors.

match up smart plugs adapter wires to your new head unit wires. Use the butt splices to connect, heat till they shrink around the wire.

Install cd install kit into bezel. Reinstall bezel. Slide in cd player. Make sure to connect all wires and antenna

----------

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Old 07-27-2011, 03:01 PM
DiabloBlanco DiabloBlanco is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

listen to jason, he helped me put mine in too.
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Old 07-27-2011, 03:41 PM
GoGoPowerRanger GoGoPowerRanger is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

these pictures might help too

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...FMK550&tp=3121

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...701771&tp=2977
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Old 07-27-2011, 07:22 PM
jjw jjw is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

can i buy the in dash reciever kit and harness at walmart?

also, do i need to take up the front plate or can i just pull out the radio using the tools and get to the wires that way?

and do i use both the harness and the butt splice connectors to connect the truck wires to the new system, or is it either or?
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:04 PM
rangerstranger rangerstranger is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjw View Post
can i buy the in dash reciever kit and harness at walmart? yes

also, do i need to take up the front plate no or can i just pull out the radio using the tools and get to the wires that way?yes

and do i use both the harness and the butt splice connectors to connect the truck wires to the new system, or is it either or?]no once you unplug the stock radio,you will then plug that plug into the matching plug on the universal wireing plug you bought from wally world then you will match up the colored wires from your new radio harness to the colored wires comming out of the universal adaptor,red to red pink to pink green to green ect.
Theres plenty of help here if you need it.
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:09 PM
pooleo pooleo is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

refer to pic for how/what to do with the wiring. The pink things are the buttsplice connectors. This is on a 96 so the factory plug is different. But same idea
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  #8  
Old 07-27-2011, 08:32 PM
jjw jjw is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

so in this pic for example, the black part is the same as the black part down around the date in pooleo's photo?


just using this guy's installation as an example, the black and orange piece thats coming out of there, would i cut that off and use the buttsplice connectors to attach my universal adaptor in its place? does the black part of the universal adaptor plug right into the back of my kenwood unit?
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  #9  
Old 07-27-2011, 08:56 PM
pooleo pooleo is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

NO! STOP!!!

Your first pic is the "female" connector or "smart plug" This plugs into the factory truck plug "orange black" (male side)

The colored wires from your first pic will connect to the harness that came with your cd deck

----------

here we go, this should help

1st pic is the truck factory harness (male)

2nd is the smart plugs adapter (female)

3rd is the harness that comes with your new cd player. (male)

4th is the (New) harness you created. pic #2+#3

You want to take the plug in the 2nd pic (smart plug adapter) and connect to the plug in the 3rd pic (cd player harness) via heat shrink butt splice (pink)

When you are finished, you should have a new harness that looks like pic #4. From there, its a plug and play affair!






----------

hehehehehehhe

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Quote:
A Gladiator does not fear death. He embraces it. Caresses it. Fucks it. Each time he enters the arena, he slips his c0ck in the mouth of the beast, and prays to thrust home before the jaws snap shut. - Oenomaus
Ball Joints/Upper A-Arms How To
Replace Door pin/bushing
Repair broken dome light tabs
VIDEO OHC Install
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  #10  
Old 07-27-2011, 09:11 PM
jjw jjw is offline
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Thumbs up Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

Quote:
Originally Posted by pooleo View Post
NO! STOP!!!

Your first pic is the "female" connector or "smart plug" This plugs into the factory truck plug "orange black" (male side)

The colored wires from your first pic will connect to the harness that came with your cd deck

----------

here we go, this should help

1st pic is the truck factory harness (male)

2nd is the smart plugs adapter (female)

3rd is the harness that comes with your new cd player. (male)

4th is the (New) harness you created. pic #2+#3

You want to take the plug in the 2nd pic (smart plug adapter) and connect to the plug in the 3rd pic (cd player harness) via heat shrink butt splice (pink)

When you are finished, you should have a new harness that looks like pic #4. From there, its a plug and play affair!
ahhhhhhhh, thank you very much for the clarification. this is exactly what i needed.

it should be a little while before i actually get to start on this, but im the type of person that really prefers to see it layed out like what youve done here. ill definitely refer to this later

i guess the key is lining up those wires between the smart plug and the harness that comes with it correctly

also how do i know which smart plug and which reciever/case to get at walmart?

Last edited by jjw; 07-27-2011 at 09:15 PM.
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  #11  
Old 07-27-2011, 09:15 PM
buggman buggman is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

nice drawing there pooleo

He's right though.
Take the wire harness that came with your radio, splice it onto the aftermarket Ford wire harness (from most electronics or car audio stores or Crutchfield.com... they're an awesome company) & plug that assembly into your truck (provided you have unplugged the old connectors already). Then plug the other end into your radio & you're pretty much done.

If you can't find the heat shrink'ed butt splices (probably the red or blue ones will work here) you can just get the regular butt splices and a roll of heat shrink tubing & cover all the connections... make sure to slide the heat shrink over the wires before you crimp them all together

The heat shrink is a belt & suspenders approach. Most times you might be able to get by without it, but I always like to cover all my connections with it... much neater than ugly, sticky old electrical tape.
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  #12  
Old 07-27-2011, 09:35 PM
jjw jjw is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

do these appear to be the correct items?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-19...ustomerRatings

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-Da...Mazda/14667121

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...0211&ppt=C0189
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  #13  
Old 07-27-2011, 09:43 PM
pooleo pooleo is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

eh, the first one looks iffy. 2nd looks good. and the 3rd is the butt splice, not sure if that is a heat shrink tho, just go there and ask them, they should have it.

When I got my smart plugs adapter from waly world, the package did not label it as 98+ ranger. It was listed as 98+ explorer/sport trac. That is the same thing. The one you get will most likely have two or three aditional ends on them. You can go ahead and cut them off, you WANT THE BIG SQUARE ONE.
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1999 | Ext. Cab | 4.0 | 4x4 | 4.10's
Quote:
A Gladiator does not fear death. He embraces it. Caresses it. Fucks it. Each time he enters the arena, he slips his c0ck in the mouth of the beast, and prays to thrust home before the jaws snap shut. - Oenomaus
Ball Joints/Upper A-Arms How To
Replace Door pin/bushing
Repair broken dome light tabs
VIDEO OHC Install
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  #14  
Old 07-28-2011, 03:56 AM
GoGoPowerRanger GoGoPowerRanger is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

Please post pictures of the final install.
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  #15  
Old 07-28-2011, 08:31 AM
jjw jjw is offline
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Default Re: help installing kenwood stereo head on 2000 ford ranger

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoGoPowerRanger View Post
Please post pictures of the final install.
i will, but it should still be a couple weeks down the road.
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